PESHAWAR: The dengue epidemic has tightened its noose in Peshawar as the cases were surged to 3090 including 127 new cases with at least 10 deaths were officially reported from different hospitals of the province.

Provincial Minister for Health, Shahram Khan Tarkai while talking to APP here on Monday has confirmed the death of 10 persons who fell prey to dengue virus in Khyber Pakthunkhwa.

“Majority of deaths and cases were reported from the most affected Tehkal and Peshtakhara areas of Peshawar,” he said. The dengue has killed seven persons belonged to Peshawar, two of Haripur and one in Charssadda.

The Government, he said, was well aware of this demanding situation and has directed the teams to expedite door to door anti dengue campaign by accelerating fumigation, distributing medicines and tablets and others measures among population to control this mosquito-borne disease.

The Minister said the KP government has started anti dengue operations on war footing basis and efforts was being made to quickly dispose of its lorwa imperative to win this war.

The KP Government, he said, was full capable to tackle the disease and that all the required steps and standards have been adopted to overcome on this challenge within two months.

The teams of KP Government and Punjab Government Health Department with specialists’ doctors, technicians and paramedics were making untiring efforts to provide maximum relief to affected patients in different camps and hospitals of Peshawar, he maintained.

There was no shortage of doctors, paramedics and medicines in hospitals of Khyber Pakthunkhwa especially in Peshawar and sufficient doctors and stock of medicines was available for treatment of dengue patients, he clarified.

Tarkai said cooperation of all departments, stakeholders and people were imperative to win war against dengue.

Meanwhile officials of Dengue Response Unit (DRU), Department of Health, told APP that 3090 dengue cases were reported till Sunday last against whom 504 patients including 85 new patients were admitted and 475 were discharged.

The disposal of dengue larwa was the real challenge before the KP Government and this war can only be won after its complete eradication.

In Peshawar, dengue larvae have also been found near Chowk Shadi Pir in the thickly populated areas of Hastngagri that increased worries of people.

The officials of KP Health Department visited Chowk Shadi Pir, during which dengue larwa was found around tyres at a house and the teams visited after a person was diagnosed with the virus of this area.

The dengue has also expanded his paws to others districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa from where dozens of cases were surfaced.

At least nine cases were reported from Mardan, two in Kohat, five in Jamrud and one in Takhtabai. The Minister said that six suspected patients were also reported from his hometown Swabi.

To provide diagnoses reports to suspected patients and others people, Public Health Response Lab (PHRL) at Khyber Medical University (KMU) Peshawar has been operationalized with state of art diagnoses machines with a task to deliver results reports within a day.

Special anti dengue help desks would be setup in all hospitals of Peshawar besides appointment of antamologists, starting of cleanliness campaign at mohallah, towns and district level for disposal of solid waste, removal of standing water besides taking help of volunteers in all the districts to overcome on this epidemic forever.

The Education Department has been advised to direct students to wear full sleeves and use mosquito repellent ointments besides modifying the timings of Morning Assembly as normally dengue mosquito attacks in that time period.

A meeting of Town-I Peshawar administration with Town Nazim Zahid Nadeem reviewed anti dengue operation and cancelled the leaves of field cleanliness employees and staff with direction to expedite fumigation, cleanliness and removal of waste from Mohalla and streets.

He said war against dengue can only be won through making consistent efforts by all the stakeholders from Government to a common man. – APP